Prologue: Before Shadows

That day, we all died. It didn't matter where you were or whose side you were on, a part of all of us disappeared into the gate. For the mere seconds that the light, Izanami's light, erupted from the core of Hell all of mankind held their breaths. Suspended between the stairway to evolution and the abyss of eventual extinction we held our breaths and looked into our hearts.

But it was never about that now was it . . . Hei?

Fate was cruel but I ran towards you, legs in desperate gallop and devoid of all sense of rationality or direction. Although, this was the gate where all things were possible and if it was possible that you would be dragged into Hell's gate for eternity I planned on taking you back. However, in the corners of my wild eyes I saw the odds stacked up against me.

Mao flew onto my pendulum like shoulder, his perch brought with him the night that lurked us. My defiant eyes did not waver in front of the nights foreboding. I did not want to think that if everything went wrong that this night would not bring another morning - or, that from where we were we could descend into a dark darker than black.

I fell deaf to the screams of my heels and toes as they strained to dance around the rubble and bodies that seemed to cackle at my hope. I refused to acknowledge the emptiness of my machine gun. I refused to be uncertain. I refused death and I refused to let you go.

"My wish could still come true," I murmured.

I ran on to see that Mao's eyes mirrored mine and without our eyes deterring from the light ahead of us, he said, "Yes, but remember the gate gives but it can take as well."

With shadows of doubt creeping up inside my heart I wondered if, like Suou, it was too late for me.

But my heart stopped.

"Hey! Don't just stop like that- "

I looked up and any incessant twitterings in my ear were rendered unheard as my only star began to pulse in my eyes. Expanding, it grew out of the perimeters of my endless gaze.

BK201's star was shining once more. . . Madame Oreilles words came to me.

Make a wish . . .

A millisecond flashed before I was flying. A floating spectator between the heavens and hell, Mao and I cast our gaze down upon Hei and Izanami- the beginnings of the end.

Surprise gripped me as in place of Izanami stood Yin but I had no time to process that thought as my sight expanded to you as you gripped her heart. And as if you had my beating heart in those gloved hands I was captivated by your conviction.

But the brightness of Hei's power threatened to consume Yin and I both as my heart raced to keep up with the fast turning cogs in my brain -

Wakaranai

Wakaranai

However, the light had already taken us into its bright embrace -

WAKARANAI

It was all over

Make a wish . . .